Alissa Eckert | The Αrt of Illustration in Science

In late January 2020, soon after the Emergency Operations Center at CDC opened, medical illustrator Alissa Eckert and her teammate, Dan Higgins, took on a huge, time-sensitive challenge: within one week, to develop the visual representation of the novel Coronavirus, the unseen “public enemy”.

At this time the virus had not yet reached pandemic status and the general public was not sufficiently aware, so it was important to balance the threat’s gravity with striking beauty. The result of her work defined the visualization of the deadliest public health challenge in a century and is seen thousands of times per day in every possible context.

In her speech at Athens Science Festival, Eckert will reveal the secrets behind her outstandingly successful work. In addition, the medical illustrator who created the most recognized SARS-CoV-2 image in the world will stress the importance of art illustration in science.

The discussion was moderated by Manolis Babatsikos.